The Whiskey Trip - Season 3, Episode 25 - Lenny Eckstein, Founder & Head Distiller - Deerhammer Distillery

This week on The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief ventures into the high-altitude heart of the Colorado Rockies to sit down with Lenny Eckstein, founder and head distiller at Deerhammer Distillery in Buena Vista. What starts as a tasting becomes a deep dive into the wild spirit of craft whiskey done the mountain way.

Lenny’s approach is anything but conventional. He’s built Deerhammer with an unapologetically bold attitude—where fermentation is open, barrels breathe mountain air, and flavor always comes first.

The whiskey journey begins with Deerhammer Straight Rye, a unique take on the category with a mash bill of: 70% Elbon Rye, 20% Oats, and 10% Caramel Malt. This isn’t your standard spicy rye. The oats lend a creamy, rounded mouthfeel, while the caramel malt brings in a sweet, roasted backbone that balances beautifully with the rye’s punch. It’s a sipper that surprises and satisfies.

Next up is Deerhammer’s American Single Malt, crafted from a robust malt-forward mash bill: 85% Pale Malt, 5% Chocolate Malt, 5% C120 Malt, and 5% C45 Malt. It’s rich and complex, bursting with notes of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, dried fruits, and charred oak. This is single malt whiskey with soul—and a distinctly American edge.

Finally, Big Chief and Lenny dig into Deerhammer’s Four Grain Bourbon, where the frontier spirit of Colorado comes alive. The mash bill is 65% Ute Mountain Corn, 15% Red Wheat, 15% Oats, and 5% Roasted Barley.

Smooth and creamy from the oats, softly spiced by the wheat, and given a bold twist with roasted barley, this is a bourbon that plays by its own rules—and wins.

Throughout the episode, Lenny shares the origin story of Deerhammer—from homebrewing days in Brooklyn to pioneering bold whiskey in the Rockies. It’s a tale of grit, grain, and chasing flavor through every season.

So pour yourself something bold, and ride along on The Whiskey Trip.